Deplorable Behavior on part of the shelter

shivani

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I wrote the following letter to *my local shelter* , regarding our two cats, Monticore and Socks. I am posting it here, so everyone is aware of their practices. Here are our babies

Be VERY CAREFUL when adopting any pets from this particular shelter and if you do, make sure you get them tested by a doctor prior to the adoption! The adoption money that is supposed to go towards testing / innoculating your pet, doesn't:

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A year and a half ago, we adopted two kittens from *my local shelter*; we named them Monticore and Socks. Sadly, Monticore died two days ago, despite our best efforts to save him, due to FELV related complications. He was only a year and 5 months old. His brother Socks not only has FELV, but also has a grade 3 heart murmur, and although he is currently relatively healthy, his long term prognosis is not positive.

*My local shelter* knew or should have known of these dangerous diseases that these kittens had. What you guys did by letting them be adopted, without telling us of their conditions, is highly immoral and reprehensible. I had repeatedly asked that these guys be tested for FIV and FELV and was told that it was not necessary, since *my local shelter* knew where their mother came from and the mother had been tested for these diseases. However, every Vet that has examined Monticore and Socks, has informed us that they contracted Lukemia at birth. Once we learned of their condition, we have done everything possible to try to prolong their life, such as providing a stress free environment and keeping them away from anything that might exacerbate their condition.

YOU BASICALLY LIED TO US! When we spoke to Stacy* (their surrogate mother) about getting them tested for fiv and felv, she said that she would speak to someone at *my local shelter* about this matter. Subsequently, I distinctly remember having conversations with Stacy, Janet* or both, where I was told that testing them was not necessary and that even if they had felv, which they didn't, many cats have this condition and it wouldn't effect their health. I will NEVER EVER adopt any animal from your shelter. None of my friends or family members will be adopting from you either. Every doctor (and we have been to a lot of vets) has shaken their heads in disbelief when learning that we adopted these poor kitties from a shelter that never bothered running any tests on them.

I sincerely hope and pray you never let this happen to anyone else again. If I had any control over it, I would make sure that whoever let this happen, never works with animals again. What you did to us is very very wrong and unforgivable. Our pets, our babies who should have lived for years, have had to spend a lot of time in hospitals, being poked around with needles or getting medications.

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*(The two women's names above have been changed, to protect their identity. As much as I'd like to put their names up here, I have not.)
 

deb25

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I have edited out the specific name of the shelter from your post.

I have read your story and have a few comments regarding it. I am not really understanding how, if you had a great deal of concern about the tests you mentioned, why you did not have them performed at your own vet's office after the adoption? I recall my own adoption agreements having a clause about what happens in case the animal does end up being ill.


These kittens must have been tiny, tiny babies from the time line in your post. Sometimes things do not show up right away. I recall being told that. Also a shelter will do some routine testing and shots, but with the number of animals being left in their care, they are not going to be testing for things such as heart murmurs.


I am sorry for the loss of your pets, nonetheless.
 

kittenadoption

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It is so easy to blame the shelters in these cases but IMO the blame should be put back in the hands of the irresponsible owners who failed to neuter/spay their animals We don't test the individual kittens but we do test the mothers as it is more cost effective to do so.
Kittens of unknown origin are tested also but the in house test in Ireland is not without flaws.(Don't know about the US)
I have also noticed here in Ireland that some vets do not treat a rescue animal with the same level of care as they would someone's pet (I exclude our own vets in this as they go above and beyond) So it does not surprise me when things do get missed.Again I don't know if this may be the case in other countries.
It is also a dilemma when there is only X amount left in the pot and you need to juggle that against 10 spays neuters and or 30 blood tests. Corners should never be cut, but I always point out that any cat or kitten should be taken to the adoptees own vet as a matter of routine.

I am so sorry that you had this experience, but there is a pre cursor to animals coming into shelters and this is irresponsible ownership, neglect and ignorance. You paid the price not for the shelters mistake but for society in general, where animals can be under valued and disposable.
We in rescue can be fighting an up hill battle due to the sheer volumes of unwanted/abandoned animals and I don't think, I would hope that your experience is not a common one.
Sorry for your loss and my thoughts are with you and your little one.
Jan Ireland.
 

crittermom

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Our local shelter also has a clause in it. It states that you agreed to have the said pet examined by a Vet within 7 days after adoption.If that animal has anything wrong with it, provide the Vet proof and take the animal back to the shelter, where your money will be refunded.
I think that adopting/buying an animal is a gamble.NO matter where that animal comes from, there are NO guarantees.There are no guarantees in life.You take the good and the bad and do the best you can.
I am sorry that your cats were so ill.
I've taken in strays before and they were as healthy as a horse.Then I've taken in some only to loose them.I've bought a puppy only to have it turn on my 7 year old son---it bit him on the face.You take a chance when you become a pet owner.Love them,give them medical attention and pray everything turns out right.
 

catsknowme

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So, basically, what would the shelter have done if they had tested the kittens? Hopefully, put them to sleep without ever knowing the comfort, joy & love that they found in your home??!! I am very sorry that you lost your kitty, and I regret that the next one also has medical problems and now you will be faced with the same decision as the shelter would have faced, had they perfomed the tests - when do I PTS my little love?
I know it's hard to lose your pets, and I do hope that you can find healty cats to own. But life is life, and even the healthiest of cats can suddenly come down with cancer, kidney problems, etc. And please consider what the alternative for them is...could you imagine if they were to live with someone without the courage, patience & compassion that you have?? do without medical care, till they succumbed to their challenges??!!

It's like having children and something goes wrong. I know - my daughter was brain-damaged as a toddler; it is so very hard to see her at 25yrs. experience the pain, loneliness, misery of the many emotional & physical challenges; but as hard as it is on me, I thank God that she was given to my care, with a family who still loves her and doesn't give up on her, even though it's a heartache...
 

phenomsmom

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I agree with you to some extent and to some extent i disagree.

It does seem to me that more and more shelters are charging you money( mine charged me $85 for kitten adoption) and saying that it includes testing that from whati know has not been done. Our friends adopted Rebel, a beautiful grey tabby, who was repeatedly ill. The vet reccomended she be tested for FeLV and she tested positive.

But I dont agree with not adopting a kitten or grown cat from a particular shelter forever. If you dont have any other pets that may be affected by this disease and can afford the medical treatments to prolong this animals life and make it have a good quality life, then do it.

I am not saying that you dont have a right to be upset, afterall we all get very attached to our pets. But give the animals who have no choice as to where they end up and who there parents will be a fighting chance. Next time have your vet check them closely upon your bringing these fur balls home.

I am sorry you lost your baby and i hope you other baby stays healthy for a very long time.
 

rockcat

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RIP little Monticore. I am so sorry for your loss. Many prayers for Socks.

Bottom line, IMO, is someone you spoke with at the shelter said "testing them was not necessary and that even if they had felv, which they didn't, many cats have this condition and it wouldn't effect their health." What should have been said is if you feel uncomfortable with our policy in not testing these kittens, feel free to have them tested on your own. IMO, the shelter is negligent.
 

tnr1

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This was also posted on the Petfinder Message board with members there posting similiar responses:

It is an unfortunate situation...but I doubt seriously that the rescue meant to lie to you. Perhaps this has been their policy all along..perhaps the vet they work with has provided them with inaccurate information. Needless to say..we all learn from our mistakes and hopefully this rescue will now test all it's cats/kittens.

The rescue I volunteer with tests for FIV/FELV and we provide proof that the test was negative. We do however also state within our contract that we cannot guarentee the health of the cats/kittens in our care and the adoptor does sign that they understand that we cannot make a guarentee. If the vet missed the heart murmur...best the rescue knows so that in future, they may find another vet to work with...but I would also recommend you check your contract to see if you signed anything that states that this rescue cannot guarentee the health of the kittens they adopt out..it is pretty standard now in adoption contracts to have this clause.

Katie

BTW..I alerted the shelter in question via email that this person had been posting negative comments about them without allowing them a chance to respond.

This was another good post from a fellow poster:

Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2005 4:35 pm
Post subject:

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Loungeact wrote:
The shelter I foster for does not test the kittens individually once the mother has been tested negative.


I am very sorry for your loss and commend you on your commitment to provide the best quality of life for those kittens.

When I started volunteering, the group I worked with only tested the mom also. Because you could not test babies for FIV, accurate we were told, testing the mom provided a more accurate result. It wasn't done with malice, just had always been that way.

When I began with my own group, I was a nervous wreck about illnesses, cats were new to me and confusing. They were much more risky than dogs. One of our vets recommended drawing blood from each littermate and testing it together, combined. Another suggested testing each. I was so confused! Add to that, I was told that the father could pass an illness to the babies, but mom would not show positive. Let's not even mention unless they are born in your care, how do you even know they ARE littermates!

I personally test each one now. I test one or two from a litter when they first arrive, then I retest each one before they go to surgery. We order the test ourselves, to help with the cost and make it easier to test, but it is very expensive. Most shelters in the area are stopping testing due to the low incidence of the disease...that is the political line, those of us volunteering know it is the opposite. But that is the restriction with having a "board of directors".

But I digress. I cannot speak for the group you worked with, but ANY animal acquired through ANY process should be immediately checked by a vet, preferably one of your choosing. When adopting from a shelter or pound, ask if you can pay for the test, in advance, if necessary.

FeLV, FIV and worse...FIP (no test, no vax) are horrible and often sneaky. You can have negative tests early on in the exposure, you can have false positives.

As for the heart issue, I doubt a shelter would catch that in a baby. Heart murmors can resolve in very young animals or they can be extremely difficult to detect. That is another excellent reason for having your own vet check.
 

tnr1

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Originally Posted by Rockcat

RIP little Monticore. I am so sorry for your loss. Many prayers for Socks.

Bottom line, IMO, is someone you spoke with at the shelter said "testing them was not necessary and that even if they had felv, which they didn't, many cats have this condition and it wouldn't effect their health." What should have been said is if you feel uncomfortable with our policy in not testing these kittens, feel free to have them tested on your own. IMO, the shelter is negligent.
We don't know what the shelter said...as far as I am concerned it is hearsay unless a representative from the shelter steps forward and acknowledges that statement. I don't know about you..but I have trouble remembering exactly what someone said to me last month....this happened over a year ago.

Katie
 

rockcat

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Originally Posted by TNR1

We don't know what the shelter said...as far as I am concerned it is hearsay unless a representative from the shelter steps forward and acknowledges that statement. I don't know about you..but I have trouble remembering exactly what someone said to me last month....this happened over a year ago.

Katie
My statement is based on what was written by Shivani, the original poster. She also said "I had repeatedly asked that these guys be tested for FIV and FELV and was told that it was not necessary, since *my local shelter* knew where their mother came from and the mother had been tested for these diseases." Pretty much everything people say on these forums is "hearsay" unless it is backed up by another source, we have no way of knowing. IMO, she sounds like she remembers what happened.

If her statements are inaccurate, I agree that it would be a different story.
 

tnr1

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Originally Posted by Rockcat

My statement is based on what was written by Shivani, the original poster. She also said "I had repeatedly asked that these guys be tested for FIV and FELV and was told that it was not necessary, since *my local shelter* knew where their mother came from and the mother had been tested for these diseases." Pretty much everything people say on these forums is "hearsay" unless it is backed up by another source, we have no way of knowing. IMO, she sounds like she remembers what happened.

If her statements are inaccurate, I agree that it would be a different story.
The fact that she is posting this on every message board she can find and not working this out with the shelter makes me very suspecious. Plus, her basic premise is to warn people to NOT adopt from that shelter..that is a bit extreme as far as I am concerned. I am forwarding this on to the shelter's email so that they can determine whether to respond to her allergations. BTW..I would be very interested in what her contract says...because it is pretty standard now to have adoptors sign a statement saying that the rescue/shelter cannot guarentee the health of any animal and that the adoptor should take the animal to their vet for a health check.

Katie
 

nebula11

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I have a few thoughts on this matter.....

1. the original poster is a first time poster....when a members first post is about a topic like this, it always makes me nervous...I have seen quite a few first time posters who post..rile up the TCS crowd and then never come back......


2. I am not sure of this but from what I have heard it is hard to diagnose any disease with kittens so young....and maybe they thought the mother was negative, or even mixed up the mothers identity, as a result assumed the kittens were negative.....

3. Shealters dont have all the money in the world....They are working with limited funds,and most of thier employees are volunteer...people who take time out of their lives, to take care of, feed, play with, clean up after..and desperatly try to adopt out tons of strays...some of these people have never worked with animals before.......the possibility exsists that they, 1. did not have the funds to test...or 2. these people in charge of this case were not qualified.....

4. The ultimate problem is that some people dont understand the importance of spay/nuetuer....as a result countless strays walk the street everyday...This sad reality is seen up close and personal by every shealter....A absolutly heart breaking occurance if you ask me.....Maybe just maybe someone at this particular shealter thought it best to keep these kittens Positive diagnoses a secret so as to adopt these kittens out to a good home like they deserved........This is of course unethical, yet morally I dont know if under such circumstances I wouldnt possibly do the same thing.

5. I am of course sorry that this happened...Yet I believe the original poster must take some responsibility....If she felt the situation was sketchy in the slightest...which occording to her she did...Then she should have either went to another shealter or brought the kittens to her own vet for a check-up....I honestly believe that the original poster fell in love with those kittens instantly....I can say I cant blame her they are beautiful.....I also believe that this letter may be out of grief for the lose of her kitten...since it came two years after finding out the truth about her kittens positive diagnoses.....I however understand her grief and frustration.....

6. The original poster, and anyone else adopting from a shelter must realize that you are not there to buy a new coat or a couch...You are their to adopt a living being....health problems and all......


Again I am sorry that this happened...and may Monticore rest in peace
 

silverbook

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Well that is very sad what has happened to the kittens. However there is not foolproof way for a shelter to ensure that certain diseases have not infected kittens, since some do not show up right away. Unless a substantial number of people have had negative experiences with a shelter, it is very possible that what happened to you was a rare occurance.
 
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shivani

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Originally Posted by TNR1

We don't know what the shelter said...as far as I am concerned it is hearsay unless a representative from the shelter steps forward and acknowledges that statement. I don't know about you..but I have trouble remembering exactly what someone said to me last month....this happened over a year ago.

Katie
Katie,

I wrote the same letter to the shelter so they are aware of it and they have not responded to me to date. Why? because, they know they are in the wrong. Thank you nonetheless for telling me....I really appreciate it. I would like to get some kind of response from them.
What do you think would have happened if I had other kittens in the house and brought home FELV cats??? They would have all gotten sick. For all the people who are posting here, saying the shelter was not responsible for telling me, I ask you the same question. Do you think it's right to not have full knowledge when adopting a pet, so you can make informed decision??

I did take the cats for tests two days after adopting them, that's when the heart murmur was discovered. FELV and FIV tests were not done till a few months later. I am not saying we wouldn't have adopted these babies if we had known....I JUST WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE known all the facts. It is not fair for us to have to have been told that the tests were not needed.

YOu're right Katie, you don't have to believe me. It is hearsay afterall. But, I have no hidden motives. My ONLY motive is to raise awareness and to make sure this doesn't happen again.

Shivani
 
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shivani

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Originally Posted by Nebula11

I have a few thoughts on this matter.....

1. the original poster is a first time poster....when a members first post is about a topic like this, it always makes me nervous...I have seen quite a few first time posters who post..rile up the TCS crowd and then never come back......


2. I am not sure of this but from what I have heard it is hard to diagnose any disease with kittens so young....and maybe they thought the mother was negative, or even mixed up the mothers identity, as a result assumed the kittens were negative.....

3. Shealters dont have all the money in the world....They are working with limited funds,and most of thier employees are volunteer...people who take time out of their lives, to take care of, feed, play with, clean up after..and desperatly try to adopt out tons of strays...some of these people have never worked with animals before.......the possibility exsists that they, 1. did not have the funds to test...or 2. these people in charge of this case were not qualified.....

4. The ultimate problem is that some people dont understand the importance of spay/nuetuer....as a result countless strays walk the street everyday...This sad reality is seen up close and personal by every shealter....A absolutly heart breaking occurance if you ask me.....Maybe just maybe someone at this particular shealter thought it best to keep these kittens Positive diagnoses a secret so as to adopt these kittens out to a good home like they deserved........This is of course unethical, yet morally I dont know if under such circumstances I wouldnt possibly do the same thing.

5. I am of course sorry that this happened...Yet I believe the original poster must take some responsibility....If she felt the situation was sketchy in the slightest...which occording to her she did...Then she should have either went to another shealter or brought the kittens to her own vet for a check-up....I honestly believe that the original poster fell in love with those kittens instantly....I can say I cant blame her they are beautiful.....I also believe that this letter may be out of grief for the lose of her kitten...since it came two years after finding out the truth about her kittens positive diagnoses.....I however understand her grief and frustration.....

6. The original poster, and anyone else adopting from a shelter must realize that you are not there to buy a new coat or a couch...You are their to adopt a living being....health problems and all......


Again I am sorry that this happened...and may Monticore rest in peace
Shelters don't have all the money in the world, but they do take the money for adoption, don't they? As another option, they can tell people of these diseases (which I strongly believe is their responsibility) and let the adoptee pay for the cost. At the very least, they are aware.

I do realise that you are getting a pet, not a "new coat or a couch" as you put it, but FELV puts other cats in the household at serious risk or any other cats you might bring in, which you have the felv cats there. It is not fair to the healthy cats...If the pet owner does not know, they cannot make an informed decision.

Lastly, just because I am a first time poster, does not mean that my views are any less important than yours. I do appreciate the warm thoughts though. I am angry of course that this happened. Our cats have brought us a lot of joy, and I am sorry their life had to be cut short. I am glad we found out that they had felv, because right before then we were planning to bring another kitty home. Please know that while I may be angry and sorry may have promted me writing in these forums, I do not want another pet owner to have to be blindsighted when adopting a pet. These are very simple tests, so I don't see why they cannot be made a requirement, so the decision to adopt the pet is well informed.

Thank you all for reading and responding to my post.
 

tnr1

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Shelters don't have all the money in the world, but they do take the money for adoption, don't they? As another option, they can tell people of these diseases (which I strongly believe is their responsibility) and let the adoptee pay for the cost. At the very least, they are aware.
Most time the money the shelters take in does not cover the costs of these costs....I know the rescue I volunteer at charges a fee that BARELY covers the vet visit, shots and neutering/spaying...it doesn't cover the daily care (food, water, upkeep of the shelter etc. etc.).

Additionally, the tests for FIV/FELV are not foolproof....which is why they do not recommend testing until the kittens are 6 months of age (you can have both false positives and false negatives until that time)...by that time, many kittens have already been adopted into homes. I'm also curious why you didn't bring these kittens back to the shelter when you discovered they were FELV positive.....instead....it has been over a year and just now you have decided to bring this to the shelter's attention.

My ONLY motive is to raise awareness and to make sure this doesn't happen again.
No...your motive is to discourage people from adopting from that shelter. Fortunately, at TCS..they do not allow posting the specific name of the shelter. If you wanted to warn people that they need to have their kittens tested before they adopt them...you could have simply stated that you had the experience and left the name of the shelter out.

I wrote the same letter to the shelter so they are aware of it and they have not responded to me to date. Why? because, they know they are in the wrong.
Not responding to you does not indicate that they agree with you. They may not have received your email. If I were that annoyed with a shelter, I would go in person and speak to someone. So much is lost over the internet and mail. When you go in person....you know that you are being heard.

Do you think it's right to not have full knowledge when adopting a pet, so you can make informed decision??
Look at your contract....is there a clause in there that says that the shelter does not guarentee the health of any animal that it adopts? We have our adoptors initial twice and recommend they take the kittens to the vet within 7 days. The contract is your legal document.

Katie
 
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shivani

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Originally Posted by TNR1

Most time the money the shelters take in does not cover the costs of these costs....I know the rescue I volunteer at charges a fee that BARELY covers the vet visit, shots and neutering/spaying...it doesn't cover the daily care (food, water, upkeep of the shelter etc. etc.).

Additionally, the tests for FIV/FELV are not foolproof....which is why they do not recommend testing until the kittens are 6 months of age...by that time, many kittens have already been adopted into homes. I'm also curious why you didn't bring these kittens back to the shelter when you discovered they were FELV positive.....instead....it has been over a year and just now you have decided to bring this to the shelter's attention.



No...your motive is to discourage people from adopting from that shelter. Fortunately, at TCS..they do not allow posting the specific name of the shelter. If you wanted to warn people that they need to have their kittens tested before they adopt them...you could have simply stated that you had the experience and left the name of the shelter out.

Katie
Why would we want to return kittens after finding out they are felv positive? They were a part of our family at that point. For your information, I did let the shelter know that they were found FELV positive, a long time ago. At that point, the resonable thing to do would have been to find out if we needed any help...but again they have chosen to stay silent.

Believe what you want to....I don't need to prove my intentions to you. I am very disappointed in people like you, who rather than saying that it is crucial for the adoptee to know the facts, are INSTEAD willing to attack the person who has suffered a loss and is trying to do everything in their power to make sure the sick cats live a loving and long life.
 

tnr1

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Originally Posted by Shivani

Why would we want to return kittens after finding out they are felv positive? They were a part of our family at that point. For your information, I did let the shelter know that they were found FELV positive, a long time ago. At that point, the resonable thing to do would have been to find out if we needed any help...but again they have chosen to stay silent.

Believe what you want to....I don't need to prove my intentions to you. I am very disappointed in people like you, who rather than saying that it is crucial for the adoptee to know the facts, are INSTEAD willing to attack the person who has suffered a loss and is trying to do everything in their power to make sure the sick cats live a loving and long life.
But that's the thing...as I stated before...FIV/FELV tests are not accurate at such a young age..you can get false positives. How exactly did you inform the shelter that your kittens came up as positive?

The fact that you came to a message board and bad mouthed a shelter instead of working directly with them is disappointing to me. You could have left their name out of it and simply listed that you believe people should test for FELV/FIV...but that isn't how you handled it.

By the way....a heart murmur is not something we would have tested for either.

willing to attack the person who has suffered a loss and is trying to do everything in their power to make sure the sick cats live a loving and long life.
The sad reality is...FELV/FIV positive kittens are normally euthanized. That is why false positives are detrimental to kittens. Because a kitten can test positive and then test negative once they reach 6 months of age..but most shelters cannot hold kittens that long. So kittens that test positive are euthanized as there are not many adoptors willing to adopt a kitten that has a disease.

Katie
 

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The situation is sad but it is completely unfair to pin the blame on anyone.

FeLV and FIV tests are not 100% accurate, cannot be and never will be. They can help you to draw intelligent conclusions regarding an animal's status but they are not the end of the story. For kittens, they are even less accurate.

It takes up to 3 months for an infected cat to test positive. Sometimes a cat is a transient positive who ends up testing negative later - but still could theoretically have passed the virus to her kittens during that time. Sometimes you get a false positive. Sometimes you get a false negative. A cat who tests positive for FIV might actually be testing positive merely because he has been vaccinated for FIV. You can't tell the difference. And short of running the test multiple times (at a minimum of $15 per test) and holding the animal for a minimum of 3 months (not going to happen given the extremely limited space resources that shelters have), there is absolutely no way to ensure 100% of mistakes can be avoided.

In truth, if the 100% certainty of FeLV/FIV status that you are advocating were implemented, it would realistically mean that absolutely no cats were ever adopted out from any shelter. They do not have the money to test cats repeatedly and do not have the space or other means to hold them for 3 months while tests are repeated. It would be a death sentence for every single cat who ever came in to the shelter - merely because the shelter would fear retribution from adopters in case the test results were inaccurate. It's not terribly different from the situation that used to exist in Atlanta where the city Animal Control literally did not adopt out any animals because they feared liability if an animal bit someone after being adopted out. So instead they killed every single animal that came into their shelter unless the animal was reclaimed by the owner. Is this the situation that anyone wants?

Bottom line is that a living creature's health status is by nature dynamic. An animal that is healthy today could be very ill tomorrow. A viral infection that is lurking undetectable today may be very detectable next week. These facts are no one's fault.

Remember the part of the marriage vow that says "in sickness and in health"? That's what animal adoption contracts should say too. Sickness is awful but it's not fair to blame anyone for it.

Katie makes an excellent point. Had your kittens tested positive at first, they would have been killed right away. Do you really regret that you were able to let them having a loving home for their lives, as short as they were?
 

lionessrampant

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Hey, my cat was born FeLV positive and I didn't find out until about 3 days ago that she was a carrier. She too had tested negative on her Elisa at about 12 weeks of age. We're also looking at the possibility of cardiomyopathy for her as well, since she's retaining fluid in her abdomen. On top of all of this, I'm looking at the possibility of my older, healthy cat being infected.

Could teh shelter I adopted from have possibly done anything to tell me that Lola had FeLV? No, they couldn't have because most carriers will test positive and negative on and off until the virus spreads to their lymphocyte T-Cells and bone marrow. This can happen months and even years after the initial replication of teh virus in the lymphnodes. Some infected cats never even get to the point where the virus spread to the marrow and some completely kill the virus and don't shed it. FeLV, FIV and FIP are all incredibly sneaky and hard to diagnose diseases. Chances are, even if they had the test done, it would have showed up negative. Are you still going to blame the shelter then?

I, for one, won't blame my shelter. They did the best they could. Now, that's also my intention with my babies. I'm not going to run around blaming everyone else and stressing myself out over this. I'm going to treat my cat or cats as best I possibly can and hopefully lengthen and make happier the time they have left before they cross the bridge. FeLV is such a weird disease that it's totally worthless blaming the shelter as the test isn't always entirely accurate anyway. And I have yet to hear of a shelter that goes to the trouble of running an IFA. That's generally the responsibility of the owner upon adoption. Elisa can only tell us so much and also has the tendency to be somewhat inconclusive or innaccurate.
 
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